A New Year
by Drachir
Summary: Chapter Three Up Galamar, Adeyna and Iris arrive at Garden, waiting to be enrolled.
1. A New Year

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, places and bad guys. Please don't flame, since I have been told I must do this. I will only do it at the beginning. Please, after reading, if you review it and tell me your honest opinion, I would be grateful.  
  
It had been two years since Squall and his friends had stopped the Sorceress Ultimecia from compressing time and destroying the world that everyone knew. After the long, gruelling battle, they had returned home, to find everything as it should be. New students had come not long after the Garden had been put back into the crater on Balamb Island.  
  
Many of the SeeD that fought Galbadia Garden had died when the attack had begun. Squall, taking his position seriously, for the first time had brought them to victory on that day, with the help of Irvine, Selphie, Quistis, Rinoa and Zell. They had continued their quest until it brought them to space, where they met Laguna, Squall's father. Rinoa had been taken control of and released Sorceress Adel.  
  
However, they had prevailed through harsh battles and many pitfalls and had finally come back to Garden, following Headmaster Cid's ideals for Garden.  
  
Most of them had become teachers, including Quistis. Rinoa stayed by Squall's side as he used Garden from time to time for big, important missions. He had remained as the commander of Balamb Garden for a year, then, when Garden was no longer needed to fly, he became a teacher and taught "Weapon Tactics".  
  
The last year had ended, with six people becoming a part of SeeD, much to the delight of Headmaster Cid, who kept an eye on Garden even now. The story begins with the New Year looming...  
  
"I don't understand!" Zell shouted angrily, "Why aren't we taking less than normal. Last year we were overloaded with students!" "Because," Squall shook his head quietly, not really wanting to explain himself, "More people wanted to join. We have the space." "But we don't have the manpower to keep an eye on all of them! Seriously man, how many do you think you've accepted now!?" "Nearly one-thousand, Zell. And I'm keeping it that way. We need the candidates. Six people graduated to SeeD last year. We lost nearly one- hundred times that two years ago." Zell shook his head angrily, "Tch! Fine. Whatever you say. I couldn't care less. When's opening day?" Rinoa spoke softly, trying to calm the situation between the two friends, "We have a month Zell and if it's needed, we can always ask some of SeeD to help. They were trained the same way and I'm sure they wouldn't mind working, since we haven't had a job in nearly six months." Zell sighed inwardly, "That's true," Zell looked up quickly, "We could always ask Galbadia Garden for help." "We could," Quistis replied, "But that may not be in our best interests. Seifer runs that Garden now, and to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure whether he is still experiencing the effect of Ultimecia. It was a traumatic time for him." "Again," Zell replied to her, "Very true. I wouldn't ask that moron for help, eve-" "That's enough," Squall cut in, "He did nothing wrong. He was manipulated much like Rinoa was in the Space Station. We can't blame him for everything he has done and I'm happy enough that he has found something more permanent to do in his life." "It's a good attitude to take," Quistis replied, she glanced around quietly, before asking, "Where's Irvine and Selphie?" "Where do you think?" Zell retorted, obviously unhappy. "Ragnarok." Squall said bluntly, "They've been flying that around for the past few days, going places. Selphie went back up to Trabia Garden to see what was going on and I received communications from her." "What's she saying, man? Spill!" Zell said to Squall immediately. "Well, Trabia's doing well. They've finally finished rebuilding and they have just reapplied for students to come to them. I spoke with the Headmistress, who says that they have eighty percent of their quota filled for the year. Their staff is full and morale is high. Selphie said that they rebuilt the basketball court as well." "We remembered so much that day, didn't we?" Quistis said, sounding questioning. "Yes, we did," Squall replied quietly, "However, Selphie did say that she should be back in a week. That should leave them ample time to get their classes sorted." "What are we all doing this year, Squall?" Zell asked curiously, "It seems we're always mixing and matching." Squall turned his eyes to him, "Well, I'll be taking Weapon Tactics. Zell, your taking hand to hand combat, since it is what your good at. Selphie will be doing Monster Intel; Irvine will be heading the Shooting Range. Quistis, you'll be doing Guardian Force Intel and History. Also, during the exams program, you'll be organizing it." "And what about me?" Rinoa asked certainly. "Hmm... We do need someone to teach the Magic Class. That's right up your alley, what with your powers. Is that okay with everyone?"  
  
Everyone seemed to nod with Zell bouncing around chaotically. Squall shook his head quietly and sighed. It was going to be a long year. After the first few minutes of excitement, everyone left to start planning their classes. Squall walked over to a large filing cabinet, pulling out a large file with a couple of hundred applications. "I have to get this done." He murmured to himself, leaning back in his chair and starting to read the applications individually, stamping them as needed and putting them either in his top tray or his bottom tray.  
  
Later that evening, Squall had gotten through about forty of the applications. His eyes were closed, the scar on his face a constant reminder of the fight he had with Seifer two years ago. It had been a long day for him, writing letters and filing applications. Rinoa had helped somewhat, but even she could only do so much.  
  
He awoke with a start as his door opened and Rinoa walked into his office. She quietly walked to his side and hugged him easily, leaning over him and kissing him softly. He returned the kiss and smiled, yawning afterwards, "What's the time?" "Nearly mid-night. Why don't you come to bed? We can all work through these tomorrow." "I guess your right." He replied to her sensibly. With that, he was dragged back to his quarters by Rinoa, to sleep.  
  
The next morning, Squall awoke at about eleven in the morning, sighing to himself quietly. He could easily imagine the stack of paperwork in his office, since he had only gotten through forty of what seemed endless paperwork.  
  
He got dressed and walked up to the elevator, sighing again. His finger pushed the button on the side and the elevator immediately came down. Squall pushed the third floor button after walking in and it obediently took him to where he wished to go.  
  
As he walked out, he heard noises coming from his office. "Probably the rest of them, wanting to show me schedules." He said to himself. He opened the double doors and was utterly shocked to see the others doing the paperwork he had left for himself to do. Files and random pieces of paper littered the room as they all worked. "What the...?" Squall said, unable to believe what was going on. "Rinoa said that you were in here until mid-night, man. Can't have you doing that, so we all decided to put our heads together and help." Zell replied to him. "Squall," Quistis then said to him, "There are our schedules on the desk. Could you review them?" Squall nodded easily, "Sure."  
  
He walked behind his desk and started to review what they had written, nodding and changing things as he saw fit. It took most of the day, but they eventually finished all the paperwork. They relaxed afterwards and spent the remaining time in the day to review what Squall had written and changed. "It's going to be a good year, guys." Squall commented to them. "Yes," Quistis said to him, "Let us hope that there are students that are ready, willing and able." "There are. Yesterday, I saw three applications from friends in the same town. They seemed competent." Squall replied. "Then, to be blunt," Quistis said to him, "A new year has begun." "That it has." Squall said to her easily. 


	2. The Introduction

He was weary from his training in the forests of Balamb. He had been out for a while, just before dawn everyday for the past two weeks, since he had heard from Garden about his application. His father had told him that it would be a good idea to get used to training everyday, if he wanted to pass the exams.  
  
He had been pushed into going into Garden this year, but he had been dreaming about it for many years. After the Galbadian incident and the Time Compression rumour, he had wanted to go in even more. His Katana lay on his bed as he flopped back to it. A sudden urge for food came to him, but he ignored it for sleep.  
  
A knock on his door awoke him about half an hour later. He didn't really want to see anyone, but replied in a half annoyed voice, "Who is it?" "Adeyna and Iris are here to see you. They are awfully excited." The voice replied. "Alright, mom. I'll be down in a minute." He said back to the door. He sighed softly, hearing the footsteps walk down the hall. A short wash of his face to wake him up fully and he trotted down the stairs to see what was going on.  
  
Adeyna and Iris were sitting on the couch, watching TV. They were nattering to themselves, obviously in debate about something. He walked up to his mother and hugged her slightly, murmuring to her about food. She nodded easily to him and went to the kitchen.  
  
He slowly walked to them and smiled easily, "What's up Gals?" Adeyna smiled at him, her grin filling her face. She was an easily amused girl, with long brown hair, worn loosely or in a ponytail, depending on what she was doing. Her eyes were a golden blue, "We got in!" He raised his eyebrows seriously, "You're joking, right?" "Does it look like we're joking, Galamar?" Iris said to him bluntly, holding up a piece of paper. She wore white, with short, shoulder length black hair and green eyes. "Do you want me to answer that?" Galamar said jokingly. "No." Iris said shortly afterwards, after some thought. Her eyes flicked back to the TV, watching what was on it. "What are you guys watching?" Galamar asked, sitting down on the sofa. "It's a documentary on Squall Leonhart. They've been talking about the Galbadian Incident more than anything else though." "Typical." Galamar retorted.  
  
He had studied the Galbadian incident in detail over the last two years. He had assumed that Squall Leonhart and the others in his team had dispatched Ultimecia and resumed Garden normally. "There making things up to hurt his reputation. Turn it over." Galamar said bluntly. "But, Galamar!" Adeyna said, slightly shocked. "No buts. Come on guys, this is hardly fair. We've two days to get prepared and ready. We shouldn't be focusing on History lessons." "He's right, Adeyna." Iris said quietly, "We've all been training for this day. We all have a job to do, whether we are SeeD's or not." "I guess so." Adeyna replied, turning off the TV. She didn't seem that happy about it, but Galamar just shrugged it off easily. "I hope you all have done what you are meant to have done." Galamar said to them quietly. "Yes. I've been focusing on my White Magic." Iris said at the same pitch. "I've just been training, you know how it is." Adeyna said easily "Good. We should all be able to make a good impression. Maybe at the end, we will become SeeD's." "We can only hope." Adeyna said easily.  
  
Two days passed quickly and Galamar had his things prepared. His Katana was strapped in its scabbard on his back; his bag was full of clothes and items he had picked up during his training exercises. He finished wit his bag and took it downstairs silently.  
  
His mother and father were waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs, smiling easily, "It's not everyday that this happens." His father remarked to him. "No, it's not." Galamar said quietly. "Your not one for long goodbyes, are you?" His mother asked. "Not really. I guess I can deal with it though and I'm only up the road." "That's true enough. How long do you think you'll be there?" His father asked him. "Not sure. I'll get back to see you." Galamar said to him easily  
  
His mother handed him a small, black pouch. Upon opening, he found some Gil and a train ticket. His eyes darted back up to his mother, "What on earth? I can't accept this." "It's yours. We hoped this day would come and have been saving up for it. I hope you find what you need and hope to find at Garden." His mother replied "Thanks..." His voice trailed off as he attached the pouch to his belt. He looked up at the clock and smiled slightly, "It's nearly time. I'd better not keep the other two waiting." "That's right!" His mother said to him, smiling easily. "Yes. Go on, scram! You'd better not keep them waiting. Look after yourself, you hear me?" His father said to him quietly. "I promise." He said to him quietly, before picking up his bag and walking out of the front door to catch the train to Garden.  
  
Adeyna and Iris were waiting for him when he appeared, ten minutes later. His bag was heavy and he was sweating from the heat. It had been a record high heat summer and they were still feeling the aftershock of it. "Nice of you to turn up!" Iris said to him. "I do try to keep you both on your toes. Come on. We only have a few minutes to board the train." He replied, trying to avoid the situation. "Next stop!" Adeyna started, "Garden!" 


	3. Garden Awaits

They moved through the stacks of people, ducking and dodging bags until they came to the entrance of the train. It had taken them fifteen minutes to get from the entrance to here and they were content enough to just walk onto the train. A man in green blocked there way, but he moved aside once they had shown them the tickets.  
  
Galamar was the first one to see the masses on the train and he sighed audibly, "It might be an idea to just stand guys. Things look a bit hectic in there." Adeyna looked in, glancing at bags and people, "Yeah. Your right about that."  
  
They put their bags on an already filled rack and leaned near the open door. The man in green backed off after about five minutes, then, a couple of minutes later, all of the doors closed. Adeyna glanced up when this happened, "Must be getting ready to go." "That's pretty obvious." Iris said to her sarcastically. "I'm only stating a fact, Iris. No need to be so damned sarcastic." Adeyna stated to her.  
  
The intercom of the train became fuzzy a minute or so later, with a voice coming out from it, "Welcome to the 10:12 train to Balamb Garden. Please make sure all baggage is stored correctly. We will shortly be leaving. ETA is 20 minutes. Thank you, and enjoy your trip." "Well, at least we know how long it's going to take." Galamar stated, oblivious to anything around him. Adeyna and Iris were still arguing. He sighed somewhat and turned, looking out of the far window in the passage they were in.  
  
The train started to move a couple of minutes later, leaving the station behind. Green scenery passed by them with a blink of an eye. Galamar recognised certain places, since he had been training there since he was a boy. His dream of joining Garden had finally come to pass. His hand slipped to his Katana without him realising and when he did, he smiled slightly, thinking to himself, "This year will hopefully be one of many. I hope I can get where I want to be by the end. SeeD, the best mercenary squad ever created."  
  
His train of thought became jumbled when Adeyna and Iris had begun to shout at each-other. Other occupants had started to look at them when this happened. Some were in formal wear, others casual. Galamar looked at them both and then sighed. "Girls, please. People are looking. Give it a rest." "She started it." Adeyna replied to him, giving Iris an evil eye. "Whatever." Iris retorted  
  
Even though Adeyna and Iris argued with each other, more than other people did, they still appreciated the help that the other could give to them. They had become mutual friends when they started training with each other. That had been just over ten years ago.  
  
They had the same dream that Galamar had, and had been pursuing it for just about, give or take a few weeks, the same amount of time. Galamar smiled slightly and looked at them again. One of the train attendants had interrupted them, asking them to quieten down. Their cheeks had become red from embarrassment as they started to giggle to each other. "Are you two finished?" Galamar asked them bluntly. "Yes," Adeyna said through large amounts of giggling, "Unless you want us to start again." "Not really. It's not my idea of fun, to be honest." Galamar replied to her.  
  
The remainder of the journey was in silence. Seemingly, reality was catching up to them. Galamar watched the scenery go by, thinking about what it was going to be like, what the lessons were going to be and lastly, what the staff were like. He wanted to meet Squall Leonhart, but he was most probably going to be a teacher, following his old, withdrawn ways.  
  
About ten minutes later, they stared at Garden from the train. Over the last two years, they had increased its size to accommodate all the students, so that people would not have to travel to get there. "It's beautiful..." Adeyna said, awe-struck from the sheer size of it. "It's... big." Iris said, glancing up and down at the large building. "It's new," Galamar started, "They've increased its size since the Galbadian Incident. More space and more lessons, so I hear. This is going to take some getting used to and its going to take some good navigational skills. We wouldn't want to be late on our first day." "Your right, Galamar," Iris started as a reply, "But it's going to be our new home. I hear they are very strict on when you can have a break." "That's true enough." Galamar said back to her. "What do you think we'll be doing first?" Adeyna asked them both. "Not sure. Probably an introduction from the staff, if the truth be known. However, I wouldn't put it past them to change the schedule at the last minute." Galamar said back to her. The intercom fuzzed again, "We will shortly be arriving at Balamb Garden. Please ensure that all baggage is with you when you depart from the train. This service will then be going to Galbadia Garden." "We'd best get ready." Galamar said easily  
  
They picked up their baggage and waited for the train to fully stop. Then, the automatic door opened and lots of people left the train. They left and followed the crowd to the entrance of Balamb Garden. There seemed to be lines coming out of the main door. "Could all new students please stand to the left. Previous students, please make your way to your room." A voice said forcefully. There were too many people to be nice. They glanced at each other quietly, standing to the left as they were asked to.  
  
It took an hour for them to get to the front of the queue. Their legs had died from weariness from the weight of their bags. The man at the desk looked up, his black tattoo easily visible from his face. He looked at Galamar, "Name?" "Galamar, Sir." Galamar replied easily "Wait one moment." He pushed a few keys on a terminal near him, "Student Number 2554119. You're in the eastern quad, room number 442. Induction starts in the main hall, at 4pm. Please make sure your there." "Certainly." He picked up his bag and moved to the side, to wait for Iris and Adeyna. They walked up to him a couple of minutes afterwards, "We have the same room." Adeyna said proudly. "Iris." Galamar said immediately "Yes, Galamar." Iris replied. "Don't kill her too quickly, you hear?" Galamar said back to her. A small giggle came from her lips, with a nod.  
  
Galamar looked up and glanced at a large clock, situated in the centre of the complex, "According to this, we have four hours until our induction." "Meet here at 3pm? We can get something to eat before hand." Adeyna said to him. "Might be an idea." Galamar replied. "Until then." Iris said flatly as she walked off. 


End file.
